On this page:
Facts about The Alien Highway
| Opposition Manifestos
| Event Chronology
Extraterrestrial Highway
The Governor of Nevada joins forces with the Fox movie studio to christen
State Route 375 the "Extraterrestrial Highway." The Area 51 Research
Center raises objection, saying democratic processes were bypassed
and governor has not addressed safety and civil rights issues. Tensions
escalate as both sides harden their positions. Fox and Governor plan
heavily hyped unveiling ceremonies for April 18. Research Center promises
"counter-event." Stay tuned for fireworks!
Related Topics: Independence Day |
E.T. Highway Unveiling |
Area 51 |
Lincoln County Justice |
Governor Miller |
Ambassador Merlin |
State of
Nevada's E.T. Highway Info |
Unveiling Photos
Opposition Manifestos |
Event Chronology
Monitor What's New for major additions
to this page.
Facts about The Alien Highway
In early 1995, State Assemblyman Roy Neighbors introduced a bill to
designate State Route 375 "The Extraterrestrial Alien Highway." A
hearing was held but no official notice of it was
given to local residents. The State Assembly passed the measure
but it was killed in the Senate as "frivolous" and a waste of
the Legislature's resources.
In February, Governor Bob Miller resurrected the measure without notice
to local residents and it was passed in a meeting of the
State Transportation Board, which he chairs. Testimony was heard only
from Pat Travis of the Little A'Le'Inn and "Ambassador Merlyn Merlin
II" a Northern Nevada man who claims to be an alien. Shortly after
passing the measure, the Governor flew to Los Angeles at taxpayer
expense to negotiate an agreement with the 20th Century Fox movie
studio to jointly
market the "E.T. Highway" and Fox's upcoming movie "Independence Day."
There is no evidence, however, that the Governor ever visited the
highway itself, and he never consulted with any official of Lincoln
County regarding this measure.
Independence Day is a big-budget Sci-Fi drama about an alien
invasion of earth. According to the producers, Devlin and
Emmerich, they wrote the script in four weeks and sold it to
the studio in one day. The movie is a thinly veiled remake of War
of the Worlds. Billions of people are killed and most of the
world's major cities wiped out until the alien mothership is destroyed
with a computer virus. The film takes place partly
at "Area 51," although this facility in no way resembles the real
thing. All of the parts of the film supposedly taking place in
Nevada were filmed in Utah and California.
The Area 51 Research Center in Rachel believes the "E.T. Highway"
should not be unveiled until issues of visitor safety and civil rights
are addressed and county officials are consulted. The "E.T. Highway"
is adjacent to the tense and poorly marked border of "Area 51," where
many tourists have been arrested and harassed and lost film and other
personal property without accounting. The highway renaming also changes
the character of the area, and local residents and elected officials
should be consulted, not locked out of the process as they have been.
The Research Center also believes that the State of Nevada should
not be seen to endorse a commercial product. The join agreement between
the governor and the Fox studio is a grave breach of government ethics.
The governor is promoting a movie that was not even filmed in Nevada.
He consulted with a out-of-state movie company, but never solicited
the concerns of his own constituents.
Opposition Manifestos
- Report to Governor on Alien Highway,
3/6/96. 23-page report outlining civil rights effects and procedural
defects in the "E.T. Highway. Although sent to the governor in early
March, he has never replied to it.
- Free Speech Counter-Event, 3/25/96.
Proposal to counter the official unveiling ceremonies scheduled
for April 18, 1996.
- Doubletalk on ET Highway,
3/30/96. A Fox publicity manager responds to requests about their
movie Independence Day and its
involvement with the State of Nevada. Full translation and analysis
of PR lingo provided.
- Campbell Responds to Criticism,
4/2/96. Activist Glenn Campbell explains larger issues behind
E.T. Highway protest.
- Request for Fox Letters,
4/3/96. Campbell requests copies of correspondence between Governor's
office and Fox studios.
- Request for Delay, 4/8/96.
Campbell requests that unveiling ceremonies be postponed until
pending issues are addressed.
- "E.T. Highway" Raises Earthly Concerns,
4/12/96. Campbell draws attention to problems inherent in current
ET Highway plan.
- "Independence Day" Exploits
UFO Community, posted to USENET 4/14/96. ID4's exploitation
of UFO interest to promote film potentially damaging to UFO community.
Event Chronology
Latest items first
- 8/2: New portfolio
of photos from the E.T. Highway unveiling on April 18. 35 photos,
fully annotated, follow the freedom fighters as they plan and carry
out their counterinsurgency operations.
- 8/96: Magazine article, Skeptical
Inquirer,* "Travels
on the Extraterrestrial Highway". Report on E.T. Highway.
- 7/29:
Opinion, Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Conning
the tourists", by Glenn Campbell.
- 7/23/96: Advertizement, Las Vegas Review-Journal,
page 2D. "The Extraterrestrial
Highway." State
of Nevada's official information on Extraterrestial Highway.
- 7/5/96: Newspaper article, Las Vegas Sun,
"Tourism Panel Unveils
E.T. Highway Member Kit." List of attractions available to
travelers.
- 7/4/96: News Transcript, KLAS-TV
5:00 PM Broadcast. George Knapp criticizes Newsweek and Glenn
Campbell for ET Highway/ID4 position.
- 7/4/96: Article, Invasion
Of The Pod People! Am I The Only One Left Who Sees The "Independence
Day" Conspiracy?," by Glenn Campbell. Groom Lake Desert Rat.
- 7/4/96: Web Page inaugurated, Independence
Day: A Curmudgeon's Guide to America's Most Overhyped Movie
- 7/2/96: Theatrical release of film "Independence Day."
- 6/28/96: Internet Article, Popular
Science, "The
ET Highway: Part II*." By Stuart Brown. Report on Highway unveiling.
- 6/21/96: Internet Article, Popular
Science, "The
ET Highway: Part I*." By Stuart Brown. Report on Highway unveiling.
- 5/26/96: Newspaper article, San Francisco Examiner,
"UFO gimmick polarizes
Nevada town: Extraterrestrial Highway brings tourists - some locals
make money, some regret changes." By Gordon Dillow.
- 5/20/96: Trip Report, "ID4
ET Highway Inauguration". Filed by The Sasquatch. Report on
Highway Unveiling.
- 5/17/96: Internet newsbrief, The
Drudge Report. Report on film Independence Day.
- 5/9/96: Newspaper article, Lincoln County Record,
"Rompin' With Rachel",
page 6. Report on aftermath of Highway Dedication.
- 4/28/96: Newspaper article, Orange County Register,
"Tourism ploy breeds alienation in
windswept town," by Gordon Dillow. The newly christened Extraterrestrial
Highway is drawing otherworldly types, unsettling Rachel, Nev.
- 4/19/96: Newspaper article, Las Vegas Review Journal,
"Hollywood invades the E.T.
Highway: State officials, movie stars and directors help dedicate
a stretch of road with an
alien-themed title", by Shaun McKinnon. Report on E.T. Highway
Unveiling.
- 4/19/96: Newspaper article, Las Vegas Sun,
"Rural highway out of this
world: Town of Rachel worries about latest attraction", by Mary
Manning. Report on reservations over E.T. Highway.
- 4/18/96: E.T. Highway Unveiling Photos
- Ray West (foreground), just before assaulting Campbell: 84k
jpg | caption (Photo by JohnnyJos@aol.com)
- ID4 promotional bumper sticker distributed at highway unveiling:
27 k jpg
- ID4 convoy abducted in Tikaboo Valley: 20k
jpg
- E.T. Highway diversion sign, Tikaboo Valley: 22k
jpg
- Counter-event political wing: 67k
jpg
- Jim Greenen of Yalaha, Fla., holds some of the UFO related merchandise
he was selling: 28k
jpg | article
- "Darth Vader" and Lt. Gov. "Loonie" Lonnie Hammargren stand in
front of E.T. Highway sign: 44k
jpg | article
- Governor Bob Miller displays E.T. Highway speed limit sign: 26k jpg
| article
- Campbell voices opposition to Highway unveiling. 16k
jpg
- Signs in front of A 'le' Inn. 11k
jpg
- 4/14/96: USENET post, "Independence
Day" Exploits UFO Community.
- 4/14/96: Newspaper article, Las Vegas Review Journal,
"Extraterrestrial Highway ceremony
set," page 4B. Report on official scheduled events.
- 4/12/96: Opinion, "E.T. Highway"
Raises Earthly Concerns.
- 4/10/96: News Wire, Fox/ID4
Schedule for Extraterrestrial Highway/Independence Day dedication
and screening.
- 4/8/96: Letter, "Request
for Delay." Campbell requests that unveiling ceremonies be postponed
until pending issues are addressed.
- 4/3/96: Letter, "Request
for Press Releases."
- 4/3/96: Letter, "Request
for Fox Letters."
- 4/2/96: USENET post, "The
Real Reason for Counter Event." Poster offers theories.
- 3/30/96: Newspaper article, "Will
The Real Miller Stand Up?," Las Vegas Review Journal.
- »»»3/30/96: "Doubletalk
on the E.T. Highway." As the Research Center prepares for war
on the "E.T. Highway," a Fox publicity manager responds to requests
about their movie and its involvement with the
state. From DR#35.
- 3/29/96: Media List provided by
Nevada Commission on Tourism.
- 3/29/96: Announcement
of ID4 Web Site.
- 3/29/96: Letter, "Reply
from Governor's Press Assistant."
- 3/29/96: Interview, "Phone Conversation
with Ken Evans, Nevada Commission on Tourism."
- 3/28/96: Letter, "Request
for Invitation."
- 3/26/96: Letter, "Request
for Inclusion."
- 3/26/96: Letter, "Request
for Media List."
- 3/26/96: Letter, "Questions
for Governor."
- 3/25/96: E-mail, Proposed
"Burma Shave" Highway Signs.
- »»»3/25/96: Proposal,
"A Free-Speech Counter Event." Proposal
to counter the official unveiling ceremonies scheduled for April 18,
1996.
- 3/22/96: Email, excerpt
from Fox Memo regarding military participation in making of ID4.
- 3/22/96: News Article, Las Vegas Review Journal,
"Miller, 'aliens' To Converge:
Stars of a new alien film will be on hand when the governor dedicates
the Extraterrestrial Highway." Report on upcoming unveiling of
Alien Highway signs in Rachel.
- 3/22/96: Press Release, "Governor
Bob Miller to Preside at Extraterrestrial Highway Dedication."
- 3/20/96: AP Wire, "Nevada's
New "Extraterrestrial Highway" Gets Hollywood-Style Launch With 20th
Century Fox's "Independence Day"; Gov. Miller, Film's Stars To
Attend Unveiling And Dedication Ceremony."
- 3/09/96:
News Article, New York Times, "Quiet
Nevada Town On E.T. Road Banking On Ufo Lore."
- E.T. Highway plans as of March 1996
- »»»3/6/96: Political
Action, Campbell's Report to Governor on Alien
Highway, describing dangers to tourists. (66k)
- 2/20/96: News Article, "Aliens
given own road: State Route 375 renamed the Extraterrestrial Highway."
Las Vegas Review Journal.
- 2/2/96: News Article, Rural
road may help E.T. find home: A new designation for Highway 375
is no longer an alien concept to the state Transportation Board."
Nevada Transportation Board renames Highway 375 despite decision
of state legislature. Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Highway Legislation Fails in 1995
- 7/3/95: News. Alien highway bill fails. Confirmed in Las
Vegas Review-Journal.
- 6/24/96: News Article, "No
Hope for Alien Highway Bill." Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- 6/12/95: Passage by Nevada Assembly reported in DR#27
- 5/21/95: Ambassador Merlin's support reported in DR#26.
- 5/19/95: Campbell's opposition
submitted to committee.
Relevent Articles
Page created: 2/18/96
Page modified: 12/01/96 tm
